The Buzz

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: Jennifer Lopez is back on the cover of American Harper’s Bazaar…not even 12 months after her last appearance. Last year was pretty hit or miss for the glossy: Selena Gomez resembled Kylie Jenner in March, Bruce Springsteen was the disappointing cover star for September and Margot Robbie somehow appeared generic in December, yet the magazine delivered stellar covers featuring Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid and Julia Roberts. Unfortunately, Bazaar is off to a rocky start for 2019, with a cover that seems recycled from a decade ago. Photographed by Camilla Akrans and styled by Patrick Mackie, J.Lo tries her best to make a red pleated Gucci number look somewhat wearable, all the while giving us flashbacks to the February 2009 cover.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF HARPER’S BAZAAR

Members of our forums were quick to call the magazine out. “Sigh, just when you think this magazine cannot stoop any lower. First, they give JLo a back-to-back cover, then they recycle a February 2009 backdrop? All the tears over Anna [WIntour], but how exactly does Glenda [Bailey] hold down her job?” asked Benn98.

“Jennifer looks great but who rehashes an already stupid concept exactly 10 years later?” dodencebt echoed.

More than ever, brands are coming clean about where they source their materials and how they manufacture their products. Tiffany & Co. is the latest to step up, opting to be more transparent about where it sources its diamonds. Upon purchasing from Tiffany & Co., a certificate will include the origin of all newly mined diamonds.

Tiffany’s chief sustainability officer, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, and senior vice president for diamond and jewelry supply, Andy Hart, initiated the Diamond Source initiative. “We are ushering in a new era of transparency for diamonds. This is something we have long been working on — the sustainable, vertical integration of our supply chain,” Kamadoli Costa said. “It’s the first step in the process.” The next step for the company is to provide the same transparency for its colored jewels. Hart said that it is challenging to trace the source of where colored jewels come from, but they are determined.

Tiffany’s announcement comes at a critical time in the diamond jewelry industry. According to WWD, “The market for lab-grown diamonds is only strengthening — particularly among Millennials who are averse to diamonds’ conflict-riddled past.”

Kendall Jenner didn’t exactly have a record-breaking Fall 2018 campaign season, only managing to score two (forgettable) campaigns for Longchamp and Dsquared2. Yet things are looking up as she starts the Spring 2019 season as the face of Roberto Cavalli. The most-followed model of 2018 and last year’s highest-paid model poses for Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott in the newly unveiled campaign, looking like a fashionable nomad in an otherworldly desert setting, with Marie Chaix on styling duties.

“It has the spirit of Cavalli but Kendall is not a Cavalli girl. Thanks to the CK report, we know now that the Kardashian are not selling when they are attached to big brands. So, why is she there?” asked Lola701.

“You can literally see her think ‘where the f*** am I?’ in that first shot,” mocked Vitamine W.

A live-action Barbie movie has been in the works for quite some time. At first, comedian Amy Schumer was pegged to star as an imperfect doll living in a Barbie world, but the actress dropped the project in 2017 due to scheduling conflicts. “I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen,” she said at the time.

Image: Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty Images

Though we’re sad the movie won’t be starring Schumer, the film has the perfect new producer and leading lady: Margot Robbie, who is set to play the iconic doll. In an interview about the casting, she said, “Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child’s journey to self-discovery. Over the brand’s almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president. I’m so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide.”

As Vogue pointed out, Barbie has been accused of promoting unrealistic beauty standards over the years, but based on Robbie’s statement, her focus seems to be on Barbie’s brains, not body. We look forward to learning more about the movie’s plot and release date. In the meantime, all we can do now is just sit back and keep watching Barbie vlogs on YouTube.

Luna Bijl scored the most Vogue covers in 2018 — eight, to be exact — fronting the likes of Vogue Japan, Vogue Netherlands, Vogue Russia, and Vogue Korea. And 2019 ain’t looking too shabby for the Dutch beauty, either. Luna kick-starts the new year on Vogue Brazil, venturing to the city of Rio de Janeiro for the magazine’s flamboyant January 2019 cover shoot. Photographed by Martin Parr and styled by Pedro Sales, she was captured on the famous Copacabana Beach wearing head-to-toe Gucci, resulting in two OTT covers.

IMAGE: VOGUE.GLOBO.COM

Another triumph for Luna? Not according to our forum members. “Terrible start at VB. This image is so fake and retouched that it hurts, and this styling is beyond ugly. I hope that is not a bad sign for 2019, this magazine slayed in 2018,” commented ghostwriter10549.

“This would have been a good cover if it wasn’t for those stupid gloves,” laughed SLFC.

Magazines often pile on the cover lines but, much to our delight, British ELLE is keeping it minimal as it starts 2019, allowing the cover image to do most of the talking. Chrissy Teigen takes to the cover of the January issue, receiving the full Gilles Bensimon treatment as she struts down Malibu beach sporting a full look from Christian Dior’s Resort 2019 collection (not exactly your average beach attire though, right?) styled by Anne Christensen.

IMAGE: ELLEUK.COM

Members of our forums weren’t buying ELLE‘s latest. “Chrissy is doing what magazines are making me do – walk away with a disgusted look on my face,” stated tigerrouge the moment the cover struck.

“Already can’t stand her, and now this awful cover! Styling is equally terrible as well. I had so much hope for this considering it was shot by Bensimon, but it fell flat, I’m afraid,” said Benn98.

“Chrissy is not model material and has never been right from the start of her career. She does not know how to pose. I don’t hate her, it’s just the facts. But these days on covers you either have `that´ or Instabrats…what a choice for magazine covers,” Bertrando3 added.